When Men Become Gods

In 2020, on a planet known as Veyra 200210, the world was modern. Cities were filled with tall buildings, advanced technology, fast transportation, and millions of people living their everyday lives. But not every part of the planet was peaceful. In one part of the world was a country known as the Republic of Sorelia. For years, Sorelia had been caught in a war against a neighbouring country called Ardel. What started as a conflict between the two countries had slowly turned into a war that affected almost every part of Sorelia.

The war had already continued for four years and seven months. People had become used to the sound of explosions in the distance. Soldiers were seen on the streets, military vehicles moved through the cities, and warnings were broadcast regularly across the country. Schools, markets, factories, and homes continued to operate, but life was never truly normal. The people of Sorelia called the conflict the Battle of Sorelia.

For the government, the biggest challenge was keeping its people alive. Food, medicine, shelter, and other basic needs became difficult to provide, especially in areas close to the battlefield. To help the population survive, the government introduced a national support program known as AID. AID provided essential supplies and assistance to families across the country. Every day, thousands of people depended on it for food, medicine, and other necessities. For many families, AID was not simply government support. It was the reason they were able to survive another day.

Among those families was the Veyran family. They lived in Sorelia like millions of others, trying to continue their lives while the war surrounded them. They had a home, a family, and dreams for the future, but the war had slowly changed the way they lived. Every morning began with the same question: would they make it through another day? The Veyran family did not know that the war would soon change their lives forever. And they certainly did not know that one child in that family would grow up to become someone the world would never forget.

It was supposed to be AID Day. Every three months, the government of Sorelia distributed AID supplies to families across the country. The supplies included food, medicine, water, and other basic essentials. For families living in the war-affected areas, AID was often the only way they could survive until the next distribution. But this time, something was wrong. The supplies had not arrived. It had already been several hours since the distribution was supposed to begin, but there was still no sign of the government trucks.

Inside a small, damaged house in Sorelia, Arden Veyran, a sixteen-year-old boy, sat alone in the hall. The roof above him was broken. A large opening allowed sunlight to enter the house, while pieces of damaged wood and concrete remained scattered around the room. The walls had cracks running through them, and there was barely any furniture left. Arden looked at the old radio lying beside him, picked it up, and turned it on. The radio made a loud static noise. “Shhhhhhh...” Arden slowly turned the tuning knob, trying to find a signal. He needed to know why the AID supplies were delayed.

The last AID distribution had taken place nearly three months ago. His family had been carefully using whatever little food they had left, but there was almost nothing remaining now. After a few seconds, the static disappeared, and a voice came through the radio: “You are listening to Sorelia FM 101.2, the official government radio station of the Republic of Sorelia.” Arden turned up the volume as the newsreader continued, “We have received a warning from the Sorelia Intelligence Bureau regarding a possible attack by the Kingdom of Ardel. Due to the security threat, the government has decided to delay today’s AID distribution.”

Arden’s expression changed. He listened carefully as the newsreader continued, “The next scheduled AID distribution is expected to take place on March 3rd, 2020. The government assures all citizens that there will be no further delays. We understand that it has been almost four months since the last AID distribution for some affected areas, and we ask citizens to remain calm.” The radio continued playing, but Arden stopped listening. He looked toward his mother and said, “It’s delayed again, Mom.”

His mother, Elena Veyran, sat quietly in the corner of the room. She had been trying to remain strong, but she could no longer hold back her tears. Arden looked at his younger sister, Mira Veyran. Mira was only three years old, and she had not eaten properly for the past three days. Arden looked back at his mother and said, “Mom, let’s hope at least Dad gets some food from the army camp.” Elena wiped the tears from her face. She looked at Arden but couldn’t answer immediately. After a few seconds, she finally spoke, “It’s been two weeks since he left home.” Her voice began to shake. “He hasn’t even contacted us.” Arden remained silent as Elena looked down at the floor, tears continuing to fall from her eyes. “I feel like he’s not alive anymore.”

The room became silent. The radio continued broadcasting in the background. Outside, somewhere in the distance, a military aircraft flew over the city. Arden looked toward the broken roof. For the first time, he began to wonder whether his father would ever come home.

It was February 7th. The AID supplies had still not arrived, and there was very little food left at the Veyran family’s home. Arden Veyran, sixteen years old, and his elder brother Adrian Veyran, nineteen, decided to leave the house and look for food. Before leaving, Adrian checked the house once again. Their mother, Elena, was sitting beside Mira, who was still weak after not eating properly for several days. Adrian looked at his mother and said, “Stay here. Lock the door after we leave. We will be back as soon as we can.” Elena nodded and replied, “Be careful.” Adrian nodded back. Arden looked at his little sister and said, “We’ll bring something for her.” Adrian placed his hand on Arden’s shoulder and replied, “We will.”

The two brothers stepped outside. Their plan was to reach a small town called Redwick, located about 50 kilometres from Elaris, where the Veyran family lived. Redwick was still receiving supplies from some nearby military camps, and they hoped they could find food there.

They first thought about using their old motorcycle. The bike was badly damaged and had not been used for a long time. Adrian tried starting it, but after a few attempts, he gave up. “Forget it. We’ll take the bus.” The brothers started walking.

The nearest bus stand was about 7 kilometres away. They walked along the damaged roads of Elaris, passing abandoned buildings, closed shops, and military checkpoints. After nearly two hours of walking, they finally reached the Elaris District Station. There were many people waiting for buses. Some were carrying bags. Some were carrying empty containers, hoping to return with food. Others were simply trying to leave the area before the situation became worse.

At around 1:00 p.m., a bus operated by Sorelia Southern Transport, the state-owned public transport company, arrived at the station. The brothers got onto the bus. The conductor looked at them and asked, “Where do you kids want to go?” Adrian felt irritated. I’m nineteen. Do I really look like a kid? But he said nothing. “Redwick.” The conductor checked the fare and said, “That’ll be ₴200 Sorel.”

Adrian immediately checked the money in his pocket. They had only ₴150. He looked at Arden, who understood the problem immediately. Adrian thought for a moment and then pointed toward his brother. “He’s only eleven. You should charge him half price.” Arden looked at Adrian. He knew his brother was trying to save the remaining money. The conductor looked at Arden for a few seconds before saying, “Fine. ₴150 Sorel.” Adrian handed over the money. “Thank you.” The brothers moved toward the back of the bus and sat down.

Arden looked out through the window as the bus slowly left the station. Elaris disappeared behind them. For the first time that day, Arden wondered what they would find in Redwick. They had no money left. Their mother and sister were waiting for them at home. And they still had to find food. The bus continued south.

At 3:20 p.m., after more than two hours on the road, the brothers finally arrived in Redwick. Arden looked around the streets of Redwick and asked, “So, we are at Redwick. What now?” Adrian looked toward the main road. “We’re going to the town market. We need to find at least some bread. We only have ₴50 Sorel left.” The two brothers started walking toward the market.

As they entered the main street, they noticed something strange. Almost every shop was closed. There were no people buying anything. No shopkeepers standing outside. No food stalls. The entire market looked abandoned. Arden looked at Adrian and asked, “Hey, you elder. What should we do now?” Adrian turned toward him. “Why are you asking me?” Arden replied, “You’re the elder one. Give me some ideas.” Adrian looked around before saying, “Can you see a bakery over there?” Arden looked in the direction Adrian was pointing. “Yeah. So?” Adrian replied, “It’s closed, brother.” Arden looked at him. “Exactly. It’s closed.” Adrian smiled slightly. “That’s the point.”

Arden looked at him suspiciously. “What are you thinking?” Adrian pointed toward the bakery. “We’re going to steal the bread.” Arden stared at him. “Are you serious right now?” Adrian answered, “I am.” Arden shook his head. “Adrian, we’re going to get arrested.” Adrian looked at him and said, “Then don’t get caught.” Arden sighed.

The brothers waited until the street became quieter. They moved toward the bakery and looked around before approaching the entrance. For the next few hours, they tried to figure out how to get inside without being noticed. By 6:00 p.m., Adrian finally managed to break the lock. “Boom.” He looked at Arden with a small smile. Arden immediately whispered, “Don’t forget. We need to go home by 10:00 p.m.” Adrian ignored him and began lifting the shutter. “Shhhhhhh...” The metal shutter slowly moved upward.

Then both brothers froze.

Inside the bakery were several Sorelian Army soldiers. They were sitting in a circle, holding their rifles. Arden’s eyes widened, and Adrian immediately stopped moving. One of the soldiers stood up and asked, “Hey, kids. What do you want?” Neither brother answered. They were too scared. The soldier stepped closer. “Well?” Adrian finally spoke. “We... we’re looking for bread.”

The soldier looked at the broken lock and then at the two brothers. “So you came here to buy bread by breaking into a bakery?” His voice became louder. “Who are you? Where are you from?” Adrian swallowed. “My name is Adrian. This is my younger brother, Arden. We’re from Elaris.” The soldier looked at them carefully before asking, “Your father?” Adrian hesitated for a moment. “Marcus Veyran.”

The soldier suddenly became serious. “Your father is Marcus Veyran?” Adrian nodded. “Yes.” The soldier looked at the other men and slowly stood straight, giving a formal military posture. “Your father is in the Army, isn’t he?” Adrian answered, “Yes.” The soldier’s expression changed. “Your father is an honorable man.” Adrian stepped forward and asked, “You know him?” The soldier nodded. “He was our Lieutenant Colonel last year.” Adrian’s eyes widened. “Where is he now?”

The soldier looked at both brothers for a moment before saying, “I can tell you.” Adrian waited. “But first...” The soldier pointed toward the food inside the bakery. “Sit down.” The brothers looked at each other. The soldier continued, “Out of respect for your father, eat.” Adrian didn’t move. Arden looked at the bread. For the first time in days, there was enough food in front of them to eat without worrying about tomorrow. The soldier looked at them again and said, “Your father helped many of us survive this war. So tonight, let us return the favor to his sons.”

Arden looked at the soldier and asked, “What about my mom and Mira?” The soldier looked at him with a confused expression. “Who’s that?” Adrian quickly answered, “Our mother and our little sister. They’re back home in Elaris.” The soldier nodded slowly. He looked toward the food inside the bakery. Without saying anything else, he picked up a bag and began putting bread inside it. One loaf. Then another. Then another. He continued until there were ten loaves of bread in the bag. He handed it to Adrian. “Take these.”

Adrian looked at the bag. “Ten?” The soldier nodded. “Take them home.” Adrian looked at Arden. Neither of them said anything for a moment. They had come to Redwick with only ₴200 Sorel, spent ₴150 on the bus, and were left with only ₴50. They had expected to return home with almost nothing. Instead, they were leaving with ten loaves of bread.

Adrian took the bag. “Thank you.” The soldier nodded. “Your father would have done the same for us.” Adrian looked at him. For a moment, he remembered what the soldier had said about Marcus. Your father was our Lieutenant Colonel. Adrian wanted to ask more. He wanted to know where Marcus was. He wanted to know what had happened to him. But the soldier had already turned away. The brothers stood there for a few seconds before Adrian finally looked at Arden and said, “Come on.” Arden nodded. They left the bakery carrying the bag of bread.

Outside, Redwick was getting darker. The sun had almost disappeared, and the streets were becoming quieter. The brothers had to get back to Elaris before it became too late. They didn’t have enough money for another bus. Adrian checked his pocket. ₴50 Sorel. Arden looked at him and said, “That isn’t enough.” Adrian replied, “I know.” Arden asked, “So how are we getting home?” Adrian looked toward the road. A group of Sorelian Army vehicles was preparing to leave Redwick. Soldiers were loading supplies and equipment into the vehicles. Adrian looked at Arden and said, “We’re going with them.”

Arden looked confused. “They’ll let us?” Adrian answered, “We’ll ask.” The brothers approached one of the soldiers and explained that they needed to return to Elaris. After a short conversation, the soldier agreed to let them travel with the military vehicles. Adrian carefully placed the bread inside the vehicle, and Arden climbed in after him.

As the vehicle began moving, Arden looked back at Redwick. The town slowly disappeared behind them. For a moment, both brothers were silent. They had come to Redwick looking for food. They had found bread. They had also found people who knew their father. But neither of them fully understood what that meant. The conversation about Marcus slowly faded from their minds as the journey home began. Their mother and little sister were waiting for them. That was all that mattered now.

The military convoy continued along the road toward Elaris. And with only ₴50 Sorel left in their pockets, the two brothers finally left Redwick behind.

10:37 P.M.

The military vehicles finally reached Elaris. The streets were almost completely empty. Most of the shops were closed, and only a few streetlights were still working. The sound of the military vehicles echoed through the quiet roads. Adrian looked at the bag beside him. Ten loaves of bread. For the first time that day, he felt relieved. They had managed to find food. They had survived Redwick. And most importantly, they could finally take something home for Elena and Mira.

The vehicle stopped near the outskirts of Elaris. Adrian picked up the bag and said to the soldiers, “Thank you.” Arden followed him. “Thank you.” One of the soldiers nodded. “Get home safely.” The brothers stepped out of the vehicle. The convoy continued down the road and slowly disappeared into the darkness.

Adrian and Arden began walking toward their home. Neither of them spoke much. They were exhausted after the long day. Arden kept thinking about Mira. He imagined her face when she saw the bread. Maybe she would finally eat properly. Maybe Elena would finally stop worrying about food for a few days. They continued walking through the dark streets of Elaris.

After nearly half an hour, they finally reached their house. It was 11:10 P.M. Adrian stood in front of the door and smiled slightly. “We’re home.” He opened the door, and the brothers stepped inside.

“Mom?”

No answer.

Adrian looked around the room. “Mom?”

Still nothing.

Arden placed the bag of bread on the table. “Mira?”

Silence.

The house was completely dark. Adrian quickly turned on the light. He looked toward the room where Elena and Mira had been staying.

Empty.

He checked the other room.

Empty.

The kitchen.

Empty.

The bathroom.

Empty.

There was no sign of them.

Adrian’s expression changed. “Arden...” Arden stood frozen in the middle of the hall. “Where are they?”

Neither brother knew what to say. The house that had been their home only hours ago was now completely silent. The bread they had fought so hard to bring back was sitting untouched on the table.

Adrian slowly looked toward the empty room.

Their mother was gone.

Their little sister was gone.

And neither brother knew where they had gone.

End of Chapter 1 — The Family